雨果 悲惨世界 英文版2-第76章

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longer　defend　himself；　but　sufficiently　alive　to　suffer　still。
　　M。　Leblanc　did　not　interrupt　him；　but　said　to　him　when　he　paused：
　　〃I　do　not　know　what　you　mean　to　say。
　　You　are　mistaken　in　me。
　　I　am　a　very　poor　man；　and　anything　but　a　millionnaire。
　　I　do　not　know　you。　You　are　mistaking　me　for　some　other　person。〃
　　〃Ah！〃　roared　Thenardier　hoarsely；　〃a　pretty　lie！
　　You　stick　to　that　pleasantry；　do　you！
　　You're　floundering；　my　old　buck！　Ah！
　　You　don't　remember！
　　You　don't　see　who　I　am？〃
　　〃Excuse　me；　sir；〃　said　M。　Leblanc　with　a　politeness　of　accent；　which　at　that　moment　seemed　peculiarly　strange　and　powerful；　〃I　see　that　you　are　a　villain！〃
　　Who　has　not　remarked　the　fact　that　odious　creatures　possess　a　susceptibility　of　their　own；　that　monsters　are　ticklish！
　　At　this　word　〃villain；〃　the　female　Thenardier　sprang　from　the　bed；　Thenardier　grasped　his　chair　as　though　he　were　about　to　crush　it　in　his　hands。　〃Don't　you　stir！〃　he　shouted　to　his　wife；　and；　turning　to　M。　Leblanc：
　　〃Villain！
　　Yes；　I　know　that　you　call　us　that；　you　rich　gentlemen！　Stop！　it's　true　that　I　became　bankrupt；　that　I　am　in　hiding；　that　I　have　no　bread；　that　I　have　not　a　single　sou；　that　I　am　a　villain！　It's　three　days　since　I　have　had　anything　to　eat；　so　I'm　a　villain！　Ah！　you　folks　warm　your　feet；　you　have　Sakoski　boots；　you　have　wadded　great…coats；　like　archbishops；　you　lodge　on　the　first　floor　in　houses　that　have　porters；　you　eat　truffles；　you　eat　asparagus　at　forty　francs　the　bunch　in　the　month　of　January；　and　green　peas；　you　gorge　yourselves；　and　when　you　want　to　know　whether　it　is　cold；　you　look　in　the　papers　to　see　what　the　engineer　Chevalier's　thermometer　says　about　it。
　　We；　it　is　we　who　are　thermometers。　We　don't　need　to　go　out　and　look　on　the　quay　at　the　corner　of　the　Tour　de　l'Horologe；　to　find　out　the　number　of　degrees　of　cold；　we　feel　our　blood　congealing　in　our　veins；　and　the　ice　forming　round　our　hearts；　and　we　say：
　　‘There　is　no　God！'
　　And　you　e　to　our　caverns；　yes　our　caverns；　for　the　purpose　of　calling　us　villains！　But　we'll　devour　you！
　　But　we'll　devour　you；　poor　little　things！　Just　see　here；　Mister　millionnaire：
　　I　have　been　a　solid　man；　I　have　held　a　license；　I　have　been　an　elector；　I　am　a　bourgeois；　that　I　am！
　　And　it's　quite　possible　that　you　are　not！〃
　　Here　Thenardier　took　a　step　towards　the　men　who　stood　near　the　door；　and　added　with　a　shudder：
　　〃When　I　think　that　he　has　dared　to　e　here　and　talk　to　me　like　a　cobbler！〃
　　Then　addressing　M。　Leblanc　with　a　fresh　outburst　of　frenzy：
　　〃And　listen　to　this　also；　Mister　philanthropist！
　　I'm　not　a　suspicious　character；　not　a　bit　of　it！
　　I'm　not　a　man　whose　name　nobody　knows；　and　who　es　and　abducts　children　from　houses！　I'm　an　old　French　soldier；　I　ought　to　have　been　decorated！　I　was　at　Waterloo；　so　I　was！
　　And　in　the　battle　I　saved　a　general　called　the　te　of　I　don't　know　what。
　　He　told　me　his　name；　but　his　beastly　voice　was　so　weak　that　I　didn't　hear。
　　All　I　caught　was　Merci　＇thanks＇。　I'd　rather　have　had　his　name　than　his　thanks。　That　would　have　helped　me　to　find　him　again。
　　The　picture　that　you　see　here；　and　which　was　painted　by　David　at　Bruqueselles；do　you　know　what　it　represents？
　　It　represents　me。
　　David　wished　to　immortalize　that　feat　of　prowess。
　　I　have　that　general　on　my　back；　and　I　am　carrying　him　through　the　grape…shot。　There's　the　history　of　it！　That　general　never　did　a　single　thing　for　me；　he　was　no　better　than　the　rest！
　　But　none　the　less；　I　saved　his　life　at　the　risk　of　my　own；　and　I　have　the　certificate　of　the　fact　in　my　pocket！　I　am　a　soldier　of　Waterloo；　by　all　the　furies！
　　And　now　that　I　have　had　the　goodness　to　tell　you　all　this；　let's　have　an　end　of　it。　I　want　money；　I　want　a　deal　of　money；　I　must　have　an　enormous　lot　of　money；　or　I'll　exterminate　you；　by　the　thunder　of　the　good　God！〃
　　Marius　had　regained　some　measure　of　control　over　his　anguish；　and　was　listening。
　　The　last　possibility　of　doubt　had　just　vanished。　It　certainly　was　the　Thenardier　of　the　will。
　　Marius　shuddered　at　that　reproach　of　ingratitude　directed　against　his　father；　and　which　he　was　on　the　point　of　so　fatally　justifying。
　　His　perplexity　was　redoubled。
　　Moreover；　there　was　in　all　these　words　of　Thenardier；　in　his　accent；　in　his　gesture；　in　his　glance　which　darted　flames　at　every　word；　there　was；　in　this　explosion　of　an　evil　nature　disclosing　everything；　in　that　mixture　of　braggadocio　and　abjectness；　of　pride　and　pettiness；　of　rage　and　folly；　in　that　chaos　of　real　griefs　and　false　sentiments；　in　that　immodesty　of　a　malicious　man　tasting　the　voluptuous　delights　of　violence；　in　that　shameless　nudity　of　a　repulsive　soul；　in　that　conflagration　of　all　sufferings　bined　with　all　hatreds；　something　which　was　as　hideous　as　evil；　and　as　heart…rending　as　the　truth。
　　The　picture　of　the　master；　the　painting　by　David　which　he　had　proposed　that　M。　Leblanc　should　purchase；　was　nothing　else；　as　the　reader　has　divined；　than　the　sign　of　his　tavern　painted；　as　it　will　be　remembered；　by　himself；　the　only　relic　which　he　had　preserved　from　his　shipwreck　at　Montfermeil。
　　As　he　had　ceased　to　intercept　Marius'　visual　ray；　Marius　could　examine　this　thing；　and　in　the　daub；　he　actually　did　recognize　a　battle；　a　background　of　smoke；　and　a　man　carrying　another　man。　It　was　the　group　posed　of　Pontmercy　and　Thenardier；　the　sergeant　the　rescuer；　the　colonel　rescued。
　　Marius　was　like　a　drunken　man；　this　picture　restored　his　father　to　life　in　some　sort；　it　was　no　longer　the　signboard　of　the　wine…shop　at　Montfermeil；　it　was　a　resurrection；　a　tomb　had　yawned；　a　phantom　had　risen　there。
　　Marius　heard　his　heart　beating　in　his　temples；　he　had　the　cannon　of　Waterloo　in　his　ears；　his　bleeding　father；　vaguely　depicted　on　that　sinister　panel　terrified　him；　and　it　seemed　to　him　that　the　misshapen　spectre　was　gazing　intently　at　him。
　　When　Thenardier　had　recovered　his　breath；　he　turned　his　bloodshot　eyes　on　M。　Leblanc；　and　said　to　him　in　a　low；　curt　voice：
　　〃What　have　you　to　say　before　we　put　the　handcuffs　on　you？〃
　　M。　Leblanc　held　his　peace。
　　In　the　midst　of　this　silence；　a　cracked　voice　launched　this　lugubrious　sarcasm　from　the　corridor：
　　〃If　there's　any　wood　to　be　split；　I'm　there！〃
　　It　was　the　man　with　the　axe；　who　was　growing　merry。
　　At　the　same　moment；　an　enormous；　bristling；　and　clayey　face　made　its　appearance　at　the　door；　with　a　hideous　laugh　which　exhibited　not　teeth；　but　fangs。
　　It　was　the　face　of　the　man　with　the　butcher's　axe。
　　〃Why　have　you　taken　off　your　mask？〃　cried　Thenardier　in　a　rage。
　　〃For　fun；〃　retorted　the　man。
　　For　the　last　few　minutes　M。　Leblanc　had　appeared　to　be　watching　and　following　all　the　movements　of　Thenardier；　who；　blinded　and　dazzled　by　his　own　rage；　was　stalking　to　and　fro　in　the　den　with　full　confidence　that　the　door　was　guarded；　and　of　holding　an　unarmed　man　fast；　he　being　armed　himself；　of　being　nine　against　one；　supposing　that　the　female　Thenardier　counted　for　but　one　man。
　　During　his　address　to　the　man　with　the　pole…axe；　he　had　turned　his　back　to　M。　Leblanc。
　　M。　Leblanc　seized　this　moment；　overturned　the　chair　with　his　foot　and　the　table　with　his　fist；　and　with　one　bound；　with　prodigious　agility；　before　Thenardier　had　time　to　turn　round；　he　had　reached　the　window。　To　open　it；　to　scale　the　frame；　to　bestride　it；　was　the　work　of　a　second　only。
　　He　was　half　out　when　six　robust　fists　seized　him　and　dragged　him　back　energetically　into　the　hovel。
　　These　were　the　three　〃chimney…builders；〃　who　had　flung　themselves　upon　him。　At　the　same　time　the　Thenardier　woman　had　wound　her　hands　in　his　hair。
　　At　the　trampling　which　ensued；　the　other　ruffians　rushed　up　from　the　corridor。
　　The　old　man　on　the　bed；　who　seemed　under　the　influence　of　wine；　descended　from　the　pallet　and　came　reeling　up；　with　a　stone…breaker's　hammer　in　his　hand。
　　One　of　the　〃chimney…builders；〃　whose　smirched　face　was　lighted　up　by　the　candle；　and　in　whom　Marius　recognized；　in　spite　of　his　daubing；　Panchaud；　alias　Printanier；　alias　Bigrenaille；　lifted　above　M。　Leblanc's　head　a　sort　of　bludgeon　made　of　two　balls　of　lead；　at　the　two　ends　of　a　bar　of　iron。
　　Marius　could　not　resist　this　sight。
　　〃My　father；〃　he　thought；　〃forgive　me！〃
　　And　his　finger　sought　the　trigger　of　his　pistol。
　　The　shot　was　on　the　point　of　being　discharged　when　Thenardier's　voice　shouted：
　　〃Don't　harm　him！〃
　　This　desperate　attempt　of　the　victim；　far　from　exasperating　Thenardier；　had　calmed　him。
　　There　existed　in　him　two　men；　the　ferocious　man　and　the　adroit　man。
　　Up　to　that　moment；　in　the　excess　of　his　triumph　in　the　presence　of　the　prey　which　had　been　brought　down；　and　which　did　not　stir；　the　ferocious　man　had　prevailed；　when　the　victim　struggled　and　tried　to　resist；　the　adroit　man　reappeared　and　took　the　upper　hand。
　　〃Don't　hurt　him！〃　he　repeated；　and　without　suspecting　it；　his　first　success　was　to　arrest　the　pistol　in　the　act　of　being　discharged；　and　to　paralyze　Marius；　in　whose　opinion　the　urgency　of　the　case　disappeared；　and　who；　in　the　face　of　this　new　phase；　saw　no　inconvenience　in　waiting　a　while　longer。
　　Who　knows　wheth